The Gull Frolic is a unique winter event at Illinois’ premier gull-watching hotspot, North Point Marina. Bring your binoculars, scope and cold weather gear, and join birders outside of the yacht club to enjoy a close study of some of our harder-to-find winter species.

More details to come.

Peter Cavanagh will give a Zoom presentation on January 27^th at 7:30pm CST entitled “How Birds Fly” illustrated by his photographs, videos, and diagrams. He will discuss the evolution of flight, aspects of avian anatomy that enable flight, and provide insights into how birds achieve the amazing aerodynamic feats that exceed the capabilities of modern aircraft. He is known for the explanation of complex topics in an understandable way, and the material will be accessible to all people interested in birds.

Peter Cavanagh is a scientist, author, and bird photographer who lives in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. He is drawn to the study of bird flight by his experiences as an instrument-rated private pilot, his professional training in anatomy and biomechanics, and his passion for nature and the outdoors. Peter’s images have been featured in the Audubon Society’s Top 100 Bird Photographs of the Year. He is the author of 100 FLYING BIRDS: Photographing the Mechanics of Flight and HOW BIRDS FLY: The Science and Art of Avian Flight — both from Firefly Books. He has traveled widely to photograph birds on every continent.

Zoom doors open at 7.

Among the world's “seabirds”, gulls are the most accessible to humans, invading our most immediate surroundings. Gulls are sometimes perceived as second class avian creatures. This, along with the identification challenges they present and their readiness to hybridize, has created a love-hate relationship for many birders. Yet some gulls species are among the most coveted bird species on any birder's list (think Ross's Gull and Ivory Gull). This presents us with an interesting juxtaposition. Do we like some gulls and look past others? Amar Ayyash will take us through an entertaining and intriguing exploration of the natural history of gulls, including their thorny taxonomy, and he'll share some of their lesser-known adaptations and quirky behaviors.

  Amar coordinates the Annual Gull Frolic on Lake Michigan and is the author of the recently published The Gull Guide.

Location:  In-person 7:30 p.m. at Robert Crown Community Center

Join us to walk the golf course’s north birding loop. Everyone should bring binoculars and a field guide if they have one. 

Meet at 7:30 a.m. on Maple Ave. in Wilmette, just west of the canal. There is free parking (4 hours) on the south side of the street.  

Leader: Matthew Rooney

If you have any questions or if you plan to attend, please email matthewarooney@gmail.com. 

For three years, longtime ENSBC member Dick Paulson was a student field instructor for the Spring Ornithology course at Principia College ten miles up the Mississippi River from Alton, Illinois. His mentor was Dr. John Wanamaker who had a PhD from Cornell.  When Dick retired in 2010, he purchased an Apple computer and a Nikon camera and started photographing birds. He has photographed birds on all seven continents. He will share his photos from Africa, Central and South America and Asia, including Taiwan, and some photos from here in the U.S. from Georgia’s Little Saint Simmons Island. 

Location:  In-person 7:30 p.m. at Robert Crown Community Center

Enjoy birding Friday mornings at Jarvis Bird Sanctuary from 7:30a.m.-9:30a.m.

Park in the metered Waveland Parking Lot  (map here: https://goo.gl/maps/ovFmu2P21ewTXiAF7) and meet on the viewing platform on the east side of the fenced-in bird sanctuary (map here: https://goo.gl/maps/fgSgGEx75wEP3X7M6). 

Leaders: from Red Hill Birding, will be on the platform from 7:30a.m.-9:30a.m., so you can come any time. Coffee and fixings are provided.

Join us to walk the golf course’s north birding loop. Everyone should bring binoculars and a field guide if they have one. 

Meet at 7:30 a.m. on Maple Ave. in Wilmette, just west of the canal. There is free parking (4 hours) on the south side of the street.  

Leader: Matthew Rooney

If you have any questions or if you plan to attend, please email matthewarooney@gmail.com. 

Enjoy birding Friday mornings at Jarvis Bird Sanctuary from 7:30a.m.-9:30a.m.

Park in the metered Waveland Parking Lot  (map here: https://goo.gl/maps/ovFmu2P21ewTXiAF7) and meet on the viewing platform on the east side of the fenced-in bird sanctuary (map here: https://goo.gl/maps/fgSgGEx75wEP3X7M6). 

Leaders: from Red Hill Birding, will be on the platform from 7:30a.m.-9:30a.m., so you can come any time. Coffee and fixings are provided.

We will look for fall warblers, other migrants, local raptors along the trails through this nearly 22 acres of restored woodlands, wetlands, and a pond. Meet 7:30 A.M. at the main park gate on the east side of Western Ave. (5801 N. Western Ave, where Ardmore dead-ends into Western). Free street parking on both sides of Western Avenue.
Leader: Scott Judd